Generational Change
by Brownish
Summary: Follow Muggleborn Alex Reed as he explores Hogwarts a generation after the war, and has his own adventures. Scorpius is perplexing, the Gryffindors are infuriating, and Professor Potter is acting very strangely. Discontinued


"Reed!" Alex Reed jerked his head up at the brisk voice, tearing his gaze away from the feather hidden between his cupped hands. He didn't think the matron had seen it floating, but he still cursed himself for doing his trick where someone might see. They would think he was some kind of freak.

He put on his 'social face', a blank mask that gave nothing away, and responded with all the politeness he could muster for the matron.

"Yes, ma'am?"

She frowned at him. "There's a man here to see you. Something about a scholarship. He's waiting in the guest room." Her face was thunderous.

Alex smiled inwardly at that. The guest room was the only room in the orphanage – sorry, 'children's home' – that had fresh paint and new furniture, and the children cleaned it completely every Thursday. It wouldn't do to give visitors a bad impression of the home, after all.

Still, he was curious. He hadn't applied for any scholarships; he had only just turned eleven, after all. Alex trotted down the stairs, apprehensive about meeting this mysterious man. Sometimes the visitors to the home were a bit creepy, and as he turned the corner at the bottom of the stairs, Alex decided to keep the door open. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the guest room.

He immediately realised why the matron had been so disapproving. The man standing by an armchair, examining the reading lamp carefully, would have startled anyone. He was wearing a two-piece suit, but the jacket and pants were an eye-scorching shade of red, and the deep purple tie was tied in a bow rather than the traditional knot. The general effect was of someone trying to dress formally, but not quite grasping the concept or required colour scheme. When Alex eventually managed to wrench his eyes away from the man's clothes, he saw an older man with a kind face, creased with laugh lines. His hair was thin and greying, but it had obviously once been a bright red.

The strange man finally noticed Alex staring at him, and straightened up from where he had been peering at the power cord. He smiled broadly and stuck out his hand.

"Alex Reed? I'm Arthur Weasley. Pleased to meet you."

Alex shook carefully. Arthur's grip was unpracticed, as though he didn't shake hands too often. The boy gave a bland smile. "Good afternoon, Mr. Weasley. May I ask why you're here? I don't remember applying for any scholarship."

Arthur's brow creased for a moment, then cleared. "Ah yes, the scholarship. Please, call me Arthur." He sat down, waving Alex into the chair across from him. "Alex, I work for a charitable group, the Hermione Granger Trust. We are offering you a full scholarship to a boarding school in Scotland."

Alex stared at him. "Why me? I mean, I can't imagine you go around offering money to random orphans."

Arthur smiled broadly. "No, we don't." He reached into his jacket pocket and produced a long, smooth piece of wood. Waving it at the open door, he murmured two words. "_Silencio. Colloportus_." The door swung shut, without making a sound.

Arthur turned back to the stunned Alex. "Alex, have you noticed strange things happening around you? Particularly when you're angry, or frightened? Objects floating, or glowing?"

Alex nodded hesitantly. This man seemed to know all of Alex's secrets. "Y-Yeah, that happens sometimes. Lately I can do it just by concentrating."

Arthur scratched his chin. "You can levitate objects without a wand? That's quite a feat, Alex.

"Wand?"

"Oh, right." Arthur seemed a bit embarrassed. "You're a wizard, you see. I'm one too. Wizards – and witches – can do magic. We use wands," Arthur waved his vaguely, throwing orange sparks towards the ceiling, "to do it. The ability to use magic without a wand, consciously, is fairly rare."

Alex was amazed by how quickly his world was shifting. He had been an orphan who could do some weird tricks, and here was this man with horrible fashion sense telling him that he was a wizard. He wanted to know more. He needed to know more. Alex could sense that this was his chance to be something. The defining emotion of his life so far had been frustration. His sharp wits and fierce intelligence had been useless, trapped in a run-down orphanage staffed and populated by idiots. Not any more.

Both Alex and Arthur roused from their thoughts, the latter looking a little embarrassed. "Anyway, Alex, the school we're inviting you to attend is called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The course there is seven years, after which you will be a fully trained wizard ready for a job in our world."

Alex frowned. "Do I pay you back once I get a job?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, Alex. The Trust is funded by a particularly wealthy individual; it's a scholarship, not a loan." Seeing that Alex was still frowning, Arthur tried to explain further. "The magical world is not very large, Alex. There are only a few dozen magical children born in England each year. Trust me, it's to our society's advantage to ensure that there are as many well-educated wizards as possible."

Alex nodded, looking less mulish. He didn't like the idea of owing someone his education, but the idea of it as an investment made sense. Placated, he decided to indulge his curiosity. "What do they teach at this school? What kind of magic?"

Arthur smiled, relieved at Alex's better mood. "Well, you'll start learning Potions, Charms, History of Magic, Transfiguration, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and..." Here Arthur's face grew more serious. "Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Alex blinked. "Dark Arts? What, like…illegal magic?"

"Exactly. Just as there are good and bad people, there are also good and bad kinds of magic." Arthur shook his head sadly, and his gaze lost focus, like he was remembering something. Obviously it was a personal subject; Alex decided to move the conversation on.

"You talked about your society. How's it different to, you know, everyone else?"

Arthur perked up. "Well, you see, the magical community is quite separate from the Muggle world." Seeing Alex's raised eyebrows, he hastily explained. "That's nonmagical people, you see." Absently pocketing his wand, Arthur continued to explain, waving his hands for emphasis.

"Our government is called the Ministry of Magic. They enforce the laws, arrest criminals, help in emergencies, that sort of thing. One of their most important jobs, Alex, is maintaining the Statute of Secrecy." He peered at Alex to make sure the boy was paying attention, but Arthur needn't have bothered; Alex was hanging on every word. If he was going to join this hidden society, he should know about it. Reassured, Arthur went on.

"The Statute prohibits interaction between our world and Muggles. Using magic in front of Muggles, for instance, is a very serious offence. The two worlds are separate, and they must remain so." Arthur saw the question forming on Alex's lips, the one every Muggle-born asked at this point in the explanation. "But why, you ask, do we keep the secret? Why not offer the advantages of magic to the whole world? The official line is that our society would be forced to help the Muggles, fix every problem their world has."

Arthur leant back in his chair, scratching at the faded scar on his chin. "I'm sure you can imagine other reasons, Alex." The boy unconsciously mirrored Arthur's posture, running a hand through his straight black hair. Alex opened his mouth, but Arthur raised a hand.

"A discussion for another time, Alex. The most important thing right now is that you not reveal any of this to your peers. To the Muggle world, you have been offered a place at an exclusive boarding school in the north. I'll return in a week to take you shopping for your school supplies."

Arthur stood up and raised his hand. Alex followed him and shook it, but then cocked his head. "Mr. Weasley…you haven't actually asked me if I _want_ to go to Hogwarts."

Arthur stared at Alex for a long moment, then threw his head back and laughed. It was the most honest, relaxed sound Alex had ever heard, and it made him smile even though he didn't get the joke. Arthur's laughter subsided, and he clapped Alex on the shoulder, rubbing at his eyes with the other hand.

"Might not want to go to Hogwarts. Oh, Alex, that's made my day. I'll see you next Thursday!" And with that, Arthur spun around and vanished with a soft _pop_, making Alex jump back into the chair.

It took him several minutes to wiggle out the window. The guests' room locked from the outside.

*

Arthur tapped a series of bricks, muttering numbers under his breath. The wall seemed to melt away to either side, giving Alex his first glimpse of the magical world. He had been imagining classical architecture: vaulted ceilings and towering stone buildings.

What he saw was a wide street filled with movement and colour. People hurried from shop to shop, some in robes and some in normal – Muggle, Alex reminded himself – clothing. Storefronts filled both sides of the street, gold-lettered signs shouting out odd names like 'Flourish and Blotts', 'Boots' Finest Footwear', and 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'.

Alex stared at that one, and turned to Arthur, who smiled, looking faintly embarassed.

"My son runs it. A joke shop, and we won't need to go in there – all their products are banned at Hogwarts, ever since they opened." Arthur waved Alex onwards. "Books first, Alex." Alex thought it was weird that Arthur had mentioned his son ran the store, singular, but that 'they' had opened it. Obviously there was a story there, but he didn't want to pry. Jokes didn't really interest him anyway; they were usually played on him.

Alex followed Arthur into Flourish and Blotts and up to the counter. Alex's guide caught the gaze of an assistant. "First-year Hogwarts set, please." The assistant gave a nod that was almost a bow, and disappeared into the back of the store. Arthur turned to Alex. "It'll take him a few moments to get them together for you. Why don't you take a look around, see if there's any extra books you might like?"

Alex nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley." Before Arthur could ask him to use his first name, Alex was off into the towering shelves. He wanted to know more about the new world that had opened up for him. Alex trotted down the aisles until he found a handwritten label that marked the 'History – Recent' shelf. He pulled out the first book that looked interesting, _Heroes and Villains of the Dark War_, but a firm voice stopped him from opening it.

"You don't want that one. Skeeter's prose is almost as decayed as her conscience." Alex looked around, and saw a boy about his age, with sharp features and pale blonde hair. The boy's muddy brown eyes were cool but interested as he pulled out another book, _The Dark Lord's Rise and Fall_. "This one's much better. It actually contains facts, rather than fabrications."

"Thanks." Said Alex, a little unnerved. The blonde boy handed the book over, and continued to watch Alex like he was an endangered animal. Leaning against the heavy wood of the shelf, the blonde spoke again.

"You haven't heard of Rita Skeeter. You don't know about the war. You're a Muggle-born, correct?"

Alex was getting a bit annoyed at this boy's supercilious attitude. "Yes, I guess I am." He snapped. The other boy smiled faintly, and extended a hand.

"Scorpius Malfoy."

Alex narrowed his eyes at the superior expression, but shook. "Alexander Reed."

Any further conversation was interrupted by Arthur's arrival.

"Found anything interesting, Alex--Oh." Arthur came to a halt as he saw Scorpius, greeting him warily. "Master Malfoy."

Scorpius inclined his head in response. "Mr. Weasley. Perhaps I'll see you at Hogwarts, Reed." With that, the strange blonde drifted away. Arthur frowned at his retreating back, then turned to Arthur.

"Found something, Alex? Ah, history. Good idea, to familiarise yourself with the culture. I tried something similar with Muggle history, and the things that they get up to! They had a King who used to perform songs on the melevision. Apparently people still visit his grave…"

Alex let Arthur's soothing monologue wash over him as they strolled to the next store, Alex lugging a bag of books that seemed lighter than it should be, but no less awkward.

*

Alex's brow was furrowed as he pored over _Rise and Fall_. Arthur had brought him to King's Cross and, after checking he had everything, wished him good luck and went to talk to his family. Alex had been shocked by the number of red-haired children of various ages, all chattering to each other in one massive group on the platform. He couldn't really blame the man for leaving Alex alone; he was a guide, after all, not Alex's father. But it meant that Alex had nothing to do except board the train early and read.

This Voldemort character was pretty scary, not because of what the book said but because of what it didn't. It mentioned the actual name once, and after that referred only to 'the Dark Lord'. Whenever attacks on groups or families were mentioned, they were not described; it just mentioned 'atrocities' and left it at that. If the history book didn't like mentioning your name, you had to have done some inhuman thngs, Alex thought.

His musings were interrupted by several people clattering into his compartment, throwing bags and suitcases into the storage space overhead. Alex tried to return to his book, but was interrupted by a blonde girl throwing herself into the seat across from him.

"Hey, I'm Lucy, what's your name?" She said, extending a hand. Batting her hair away from his face, Alex shook hands and smiled tightly.

"Alex Reed."

A tall boy with messy brown hair gave Alex a friendly wave, and indicated the girl sitting next to him. "I'm Mack. This is my cousin, Steph." She had long, straight black hair. Steph inclined her head, then looked away, apparently lost in thought.

Lucy was still smiling at Alex. "You're a first year, right? So are we! God, it's so exciting, finally going to Hogwarts."

Lucy obviously wanted to talk, and Alex realised that he wasn't going to get back to his book. He closed it and put it under his seat as Lucy kept chattering on.

"I wonder what house I'll be in! I mean, my mother was in Ravenclaw, but my father was in Hufflepuff, but then he says that it's not about your parents. I'm not really that brave, so probably not Gryffindor…I hope I don't get put into Slytherin!"

Mack interrupted the rant with the ease of practice. "Don't worry, Luce. I don't think you're the Slytherin type." Before she could draw breath again, he turned to Alex. "What about you, Alex, any house preference?"

Alex blinked at him, and let a little of his bemusement show through. "I have no idea what you're talking about, actually."

Lucy and Mack stared at him, shocked into silence. Steph looked up from her lap, smiling faintly. "Don't worry about them, they've never met a Muggle-born before." She flicked the other two a faintly contemptuous glance. "What they're raving about is the house system at Hogwarts."

Steph explained the house system, giving a quick rundown of how points were awarded and the qualities of each house: courage, intelligence, loyalty and ambition. It made Alex nervous about the year ahead of him. He just wanted to be a wizard, not get caught up in ridiculous intraschool rivalries. Slytherin seemed to be particularly hated, probably due to its historical links to the snakes that Voldemort had loved so much; the would-be dictator's obsession with serpents had been mentioned over and over again in _Rise and Fall_.

Lucy and Steph's argument over whether Slytherins were ambitious or just plain evil was interrupted by the door banging open. An older boy was framed in the doorway, tall and thin, with a tan that had not been acquired in England. He gave the four first-years an apologetic grimace. "All the other compartments are full, I'm afraid. I didn't realise there were so many people at Hogwarts."

Mack was the first to respond. "You're never a first year!"

The boy shook his head as he stowed a suitcase overhead. "No, I'm in fifth year. My parents moved back here from Australia, so it's my first year at Hogwarts." He blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Doug Weaver."

The others introduced themselves, and Lucy soon drew Doug into the debate over Slytherin morality. His lack of knowledge didn't seem to matter. Alex listening to the ebb and flow of the conversation as he stared out the window, occasionally throwing in a comment or question as the countryside rattled past.

*

Alex glared down at the transport provided. "Boats." His voice was harsh. "Boats? Really?"

"Sure!" Lucy clambered down into one of the little rowboats. "It's a tradition, my parents told me. First years always cross the lake, apparently it gives the best view of the castle."

"Castle?" Alex stared at her, momentarily forgetting his fear of water. "I thought we were going to the school now?"

"Well of course, dummy!" Lucy grabbed his wrist and yanked hard, sending him tumbling into the boat. He flung up an arm and stopped his head from hitting the wood, but still barked his knee. Mack jumped down next to him. "You all right, mate?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Said Alex. Lucy was oblivious to his glare.

Steph lowered herself into the boat, trying to look sympathetic but coming off amused instead. Alex frowned at her across the bobbing rowboat, and she hastily explained what Lucy thought was perfectly obvious. "Hogwarts _is_ a castle, Alex. When it was founded, witches and wizards were still being persecuted – it was a safehouse as much as a school. Over the years the keep was extended and separate buildings were added. When the War was at its worst, Hogwarts was one of the few safe places. It's still a fortress, it just happens to have a school in it."

Alex stared out over the lake, digesting the history lesson. He had been looking forward to learning magic, so much that it was almost a hunger, but part of his anticipation had also been that Hogwarts would be different from the orphanage. He had been looking forward to a place full of magic and learning, but the school sounded…dangerous. Was it going to be attacked while he was here?

As the boat began to glide away from the docks, he decided that was ludicrous. The war was over now, and Hogwarts would probably be perfectly safe.

The boats emerged from a moss-encrusted tunnel, giving Alex a clear view of the hill above the lake. He gaped at the sight. Hogwarts Castle was massive, its weathered stones exuding power and age. Some of the granite blocks were new and unweathered, but the patchwork restorations didn't make Hogwarts any less impressive. They made it look tough, like a scarred warrior. Alex could see why Steph had called Hogwarts a fortress.

The boat slowed as it neared the wooden pier, thumping against the rough-hewn wood. Torches on long poles cast a welcoming light over the pier, and more of them lined a path leading up to the castle. An answering light streamed out of the windows of Hogwarts, outlining it against the night sky. Alex was so entranced by the scene that it took him a moment to see the woman standing at the end of the pier.

She was middle-aged and stern, and Alex knew at once that she was a teacher. Her hair was bound up in a tight bun, auburn with thick streaks of grey. Despite her air of authority, she seemed somehow satisfied, watching Alex and the other first years as they clambered out of the boats. She waited until the last of them were on dry ground, and cleared her throat. In the sudden silence, she gave the students a tiny smile and spoke. Her voice had a hint of Scottish burr.

"Please follow me, students."

She led them up the hill, occasionally glancing back to see that they were behaving. Alex couldn't help but imagine a duck leading her chicks, and snorted to himself. She led them through a set of oak double doors, into a large room with an even larger door at the end. The woman turned and watched the last student stumble through the doors, then spoke, her voice ending every nervous conversation.

"Good evening, students. My name is Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts. In a moment, you will file into—"

Her speech, delivered with the rhythm of years of practice, was interrupted by a side door slamming open. A man was striding into the room, his eyes on the book he held in front of him. He looked up at the Headmistress, showing a pale face with messy black hair and bright green eyes, covered by an old-fashioned pair of glasses.

"Minerva, are you sure Brixtow's the best source for—" Now it was the man's voice that cut off, as he glanced from the Headmistress biting her lip to the crowd in front of her. The man blinked several times, and Alex fought hard not to giggle.

The man finally found his voice again. "Minerva, the entrance hall is full of midgets!" he yelped, looking rather unnerved.

The Headmistress frowned at the man. "Harry, these are _students_. This is the first day of term, _as you know_." She turned to the first years. "Children, this is Professor Potter, your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Alex stared. Was this really Harry Potter, the man who had killed Voldemort? The only picture of him in _Rise and Fall_ had been blurry, and the subject had kept ducking and trying to dart out of frame. Now that Alex was looking for it, he could see the famous scar, faded and almost invisible against Potter's pale skin. Alex could hear whispers from the students. _Is that really him? He's going to be teaching us? Oh my god, he's so cute!_

Potter waved and gave them a wan smile, then darted back out of the room, his plain black robes flapping. McGonagall stared after him, and Alex thought that he heard her sigh.

She turned back to the gossiping students, and raised her hand for silence. When the hall was silent again, she continued her speech. "As I was saying, in a moment you will file into the Great Hall, and your names will be called in order. Each of you will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and it will decide which of our four houses will guide your destiny."

She paused to let this sink in, before adding a less practiced codicil. "All of our houses are great and honourable in their own way, and there is no reason to fear any of them. I wish you all the greatest luck in your first year at Hogwarts." Alex couldn't help feeling more worried than before. In his experience, authority figures only told you something wasn't true because everyone else thought it was. What if he was put in Slytherin? He'd never make friends there, the conversation on the train had made that very clear.

McGonagall tapped the massive double doors with one finger and they swung open, the sudden noise jolting Alex out of his thoughts. Beyond the doors was a massive hall, the edges lined with floating candles. The ceiling was painted to look like the night sky – no, Alex realised, it _was_ the night sky. Clouds drifted gently past, and a star slowly altered position; probably a satellite.

"_Do_ try not to look like a tourist, Reed." A voice drawled in his ear. Alex spun around, glaring at Scorpius. Alex couldn't imagine why the pureblooded boy was talking to him again, or at all; the prejudice of the Malfoys had been mentioned several times in _Rise and Fall_. The blonde boy just gave his trademark faint smile, casting his gaze over the rest of the hall. Four tables full of noisy children ran up the enormous chamber, with another table at the end to seat what appeared to be the school staff. Scorpius began to name them, carefully not looking at Alex.

"Longbottom, the tall gangly one, he teaches Herbology. He's a hero, fought at the Battle of Hogsmeade." Scorpius glanced back at Alex. "Hard to believe, isn't it?" Turning back, he continued. "The massive one, you might recognise him from the platform, that's Hagrid. Gamekeeper, Magical Creatures teacher, least hidden half-giant in the world. Sinistra, she's Astronomy--"

The rest of Scorpius' colour commentary was cut off by McGonagall clearing her throat. Sweeping the first-years with a stern glare, she thumped a stool down onto the floor. The seated students went quiet as well when the Headmistress placed a battered, pointy hat on the stool. The hush stretched out for several moments, and Alex began to wonder what they were all waiting for.

A humming could be heard in the silent hall, growing slowly louder. The humming became a song, and Alex realised that the hat was the source. Magic was one thing, but singing hats were another! The song went on for a while, the hat briefly giving a history of each house and the attributes associated with them. Alex had heard it all on the train, but there were several first-years listening carefully. He noted their faces; they were probably from 'normal' backgrounds like Alex.

When the song was over, McGonagall extracted a roll of parchment from her robes. Unfurling it with the air of ceremony, she began to read the names. "Adams, Mitchell!" scurried up to the stool and its battered hat, obviously cursing his last name. The timid, brown-haired boy gingerly lowered the hat onto his head. There was a short pause, an expectant silence that stretched for several seconds.

"Hufflepuff!" Shouted the hat, and the table decorated in orange erupted in cheers and applause. Adams dropped the hat and trotted over to his new housemates, looking thrilled by the warm greeting. McGonagall watched the boy sit down, and moved on to the next name. "Bucet, Dorea!"

The names kept coming, and the hat kept speaking, sending students to the houses in roughly equal proportions. Finally, McGongall came to the name Alex had been waiting for – "Malfoy, Scorpius!". The blonde gave Alex a confident smile, and strolled up to the stool. As Scorpius lowered the hat, Alex noticed that McGongall had already turned back to the other first-years. Looking around the hall, he saw that some of the older students, and a couple of the teachers, were already looking impatient. Malfoy, Slytherin, get on with it, their faces said.

What had been a short pause for the others soon become several moments, then a quarter-minute. Then half a minute. As the silence stretched, the impatient mood of the hall began to turn to confusion. What was taking so long? Alex was equally bewildered. From what he'd seen, Scorpius had more than enough cunning and ambition to be a Slytherin. Finally, the hat bellowed its choice, sounding almost defiant.

"Ravenclaw!" it cried.

The hall went silent, and McGongall swivelled on her heel. Scorpius didn't move for a moment, and then he jumped up, flinging the hat onto the ground. He took a deep breath through his nose, face flushed and lips thin, then another, trying to compose himself. It was strange for Alex, seeing the annoyingly superior pureblood so out of sorts, the object of every eye in the hall.

Eventually McGonagall broke the silence. "Malfoy, I suggest you sit with your house." The blonde boy glared up at her, but stomped off to the Ravenclaw table. There were no cheers.

The list continued, but Alex was watching Scorpius. The new Ravenclaw sat alone, the object of stares and whispered conjecture. Alex was startled from his observation by McGongall's voice. "Reed, Alexander!" and it was his turn to be the centre of attention. He lowered the hat onto his head, and wondered what happened next.

_Why, we have a little chat, dear boy._ A voice whispered inside his head. Alex jumped, but focused as the voice kept going. _You've_ _certainly got your brains, boy, and you aren't afraid of anything. But those are all by-products, aren't they? The hunger for success, that's what drives you. Yes, I think you should do well in-_

"Slytherin!" The hat bellowed.

_Wait!_ Alex thought hard at the hat. _Don't I get a say?_

_Not in your case._ Was the smug rejoinder. _Slytherin all the way. I expect great things from you, lad. Now go meet your new House-mates_.

Alex pulled the hat off to a sparse round of applause from the Slytherin table. On his way past he saw Lucy and Mack looking at him sadly from the Gryffindor table, and Alex could feel Scorpius's glare burning a hole in the side of his head as he passed the Ravenclaw table. Risking a glance at the livid boy, Alex saw Steph, also a freshly-minted Ravenclaw. She was glancing from Scorpius to Alex, intrigued.

After a few more names, McGonagall up to the lectern in front of the teachers' table, her robes swirling with the force of her stride. The Headmistress raised a hand, and waited for absolute quiet. When no one was speaking, when not even a murmur could be heard in the massive hall, McGonagall clapped her hands once.

"Tuck in!" She said, and suddenly the tables were covered in the most delicious looking food Alex had ever seen.

It tasted just as good as it looked, and Alex had to force himself to slow down. He didn't want to look like a starved orphan in front of his new house, even if that was what he was. Nobody talked to him, but he could feel their eyes. He knew what they were doing; it was the same thing that happened whenever a new kid arrived at the home. You watched them, talked to them, pushed them around a bit. That was how you found out whether they were worth your time.

Alex was an old hand at the game, and didn't want his chance at learning magic interrupted by squabbles. The key was to be bland; if you weren't interesting to talk to or bully, most people would let you fade into the background. Alex smiled slightly as he took a slice of ham. From the background, you could see everything without being involved.


End file.
